It’s the third set tiebreaker. All or Nothing, as I say. The wind’s howling and the temperature is skyrocketing by the minute, the worst conditions possible.

I stand there, exhausted and I just drank the last of my Gatorade. I feel relaxed on the court for the moment, but my nerves come crawling back. There he is. He’s back.

“Give it all you got!” my Dad says

“You can win it!” my teammates helpfully say.

I get the first serve. The wind finally dies down; I toss the ball high, strike the ball with power...Ace. Fortunately for me, the wind comes back; gusting like a hurricane, falters my opponent greatly and gives me second and third points. Just four more to go.

We switch sides of the court, the tides have turned. The next two points weren't any easier. My opponent saw through my exhaustion and had me dragging up and down, throughout the court. Somehow, I managed to win the points. Out of breath I’m thinking, Two more, this is it.

I’m up 5-0 in the tiebreaker, this is now my match to lose. I steady my nerves and graciously win the sixth point. One more, you can do this. I’ve come too far to let this match slip away.. I toss the ball up, swing with as much power as I can…Ace. Inevitably, cheers from my family and teammates ensue. As I raise my hands up in excitement, they see someone filled with determination and ambition. I see…me